American Freestyle Motocross Awards

2009 has marked the first year for the American Freestyle Motocross Association to host an awards ceremony presented by Fuel TV. Ballots were sent out to over 40 Pro FMX riders to determine this year’s winners by the highest number of votes in each category.

Taking place at the Pala Raceway and Casino in Pala, CA, the awards were established to "recognize top athletes and companies for their accomplishments, commitment to and influence on the sport." Some of this year’s categories include, Best Slam, Best Spread in a Magazine, Mucho Cohones, New Blood, and Unsung Hero.

The highest honor however, remains in the Lusk Legacy Foundation Rider of the Year award. This award is given to the year’s most dedicated rider in the memory of Jeremy Lusk, who tragically died in a freestyle accident earlier in the year.

Also new this year is the AFMXA Amateur Competition, the first ever to hit the West Coast. Leah Steiger, the executive director for the AFMXA said, "In keeping with the mission of the Association, we are developing an amateur circuit to further the sport. The AFMXA Awards celebrates individuals who’ve given so much to build the sport and foster the growth of those who are next in line." 10 individuals were selected to participate in the amateur competition based on the execution, style and innovation in their video entries.

The judging panel consisted of big names such as Brian Deegan, Jeremy "Twitch" Stenberg, Nate Adams, and Ronnie Faisst, just to name a few. The competition took place earlier in the day, prior to the big awards soiree, handing out 1st, 2nd and 3rd place as well as an honor for the Best Whip.

While the awards ceremony and amateur competition already took place on November 7th, it will be premiered on Fuel TV, Monday, December 28th at 8pm, EST.